Harney Peak is the highest point in South Dakota at 7,242 feet. It is also the highest point in the United States east of the Rockies. For that matter, it is the highest point between the Rockies and the Swiss Alps. But I had never heard of it, until my sister and I started planning this quick trip to South Dakota.
As we were planning the trip, I asked Greg if there was anything he wanted to see while we were there. He said he would really like to hike to Harney Peak. His father worked in the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the 1930's in South Dakota. He had spent time working as a fire lookout on Harney Peak. Now, it is not common knowledge, but I have totally loved fire lookouts since I read an article on them as a kid in Ranger Rick. Even though I am a bit afraid of heights, I have always wanted to spend the night at one of the old fire lookouts the Forest Service has converted to recreational rentals. I love visiting fire lookouts, even though with my mild height phobia, I haven't ever really climbed to the top of any. I did a quick internet search, saw the photos of the Harney Peak Lookout, read a description of the trail, and we decided that this was a hike we had to make.
The hike to Harney Peak by the easiest route is about 3.5 miles with an elevation gain of about 1100 feet. Easy enough, unless you are completely out of shape, like I am. We would also have the dogs, because we could not find a dog sitter. That was not a problem, since both Custer State Park and Black Hills National Forest are both dog-friendly.
On Tuesday, July 31, my sister and her family left for their new home in North Dakota after a tearful goodbye. Greg and I left for our hike to Harney Peak. We got a late start, and it was a warm day. But we wanted to say our goodbyes, especially since we aren't sure when we will next see my sister's family. On our way to the trailhead, we stopped at the Prairie Berry Winery in Hill City, SD for a quick tasting. If you are ever in Hill City, be sure to stop. They have all kinds of interesting, tasty, local fruit wines.
We decided to take the trailhead from Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park, which is the shortest and easiest hike. After a little research on the internet, we decided to take the #9 trail up to the peak, and the #4 trail back. If you go yourself, I recommend this route. The #4 trail has a lot less people on it, and it is easier to descend than it is to climb. The trails are well maintained, easy to follow, well marked, and heavily used. This hike is very popular.
Greg took Jefferson, while I took Snicker and Franklin Poodlepants. Dogs must be on leash or under strict voice control. At the best of times, our dogs are under what we think is strict, but they think is loose, voice control (what can I say? This is our failure, not theirs). So leashes were necessary. This actually worked well, because Snicker and Franklin were a help pulling me up the hill (downhill was another story).
Not quite halfway up the #9 trail, we got our first glimpse from the trail of the lookout. Harney Peak Lookout is located within the Black Elk Wilderness Area, and is no longer an active lookout.
There is very little water on the trail, at least at this time of year. The #9 trail crosses a small creek at about the halfway mark, and after that, there is no water until you get to the top. Greg carried about 6 liters of water, both for himself and the dogs, since we weren't sure there would be water in the creek (and we forgot that there is water at the top). Even with the extra water, and some time to cool down at the halfway point, by the time we neared the top, Franklin and Snicker were very tired.
Luckily, we had seen a number of wet dogs coming down the trail with their owners, who assured us that there was a nice swimming hole at the top. I wish I had taken more pictures of the final stair climb to the lookout, but I was too busy trying pull two very tired, hot dogs the last leg of the hike to get them to water. Once we reached the top, Greg took all the dogs to find the water hole, and I took time to take a couple of pictures of the view we hiked so far to see.
There were some kids who were more than happy to lead Greg and the dogs to the old reservoir.
For water dogs, this is the bliss at the end of a long, hot hike.
I took some more pictures from the lookout, but now, I wish I had taken more. I really was concerned about the dogs, and I wanted to make sure that they were recuperating, knowing that we had a 3.5 mile hike back. Dark clouds were also starting to gather on the horizon, and I definitely did not want to get stuck on Harney Peak during a thunderstorm. I took this picture of Mount Rushmore from inside the lookout; the Presidents are facing the opposite way, so it may not be recognizable.
I climbed down to where the dogs were happily swimming and cooling off. This view of the lookout and old pumphouse shows just how impressive this lookout is. I don't think they build them like this anymore. The CCC built this lookout in the late 1930's, at about the same time Mount Rushmore was being finished.
Swimming for a lab is like a solar panel to a battery. It totally recharged the dogs.
So much so, that Snicker and Jefferson started finding sticks for us to throw for them.
Dogs have quick recurperative powers (quicker than me, for sure!).
At this point, we figured the dogs had rested enough, and we would head back up to the lookout for some pictures before the dark clouds that were gathering became a storm above us. There are several levels within the lookout--Greg climbed to the highest level for a look. I was happy to stay on the ground with the dogs.
Here is a closeup view of Mount Rushmore from Harney Peak. The parking area and memorial is visible to the right. This view has now completely destroyed the final scenes of North by Northwest for me. I will still love that movie, though.
Cathedral Spires and Little Devil's Tower from the entrance to Harney Peak Lookout. The #4 trail we descended by weaves between these formations.
The entrance to Harney Peak Lookout. To the left in the picture, you can see the cable that descends from the lightning rod at the top of the lookout. As the highest point in South Dakota, the lookout must get struck by lightning a lot. It is something to keep in mind when hiking up there.
Greg getting a picture of me getting a picture of him. You can see the thunderstorms building all around us. I really wish we would have had more time at the top. It is absolutely spectacular.
I can only imagine what it must have been like to live up here with these views surrounding you all day.
With the sky getting darker and darker, we decided we better start down the trail. We had a bit of trouble getting the dogs down the stairs. There are a couple of flights of wrought iron stairs. The stairs are not solid, so there is a view to the ground below. Franklin and Jefferson wanted nothing to do with going down them. Not even jerky could persuade them. It probably took about twenty minutes, but we finally managed to wrestle, bribe, and drag them down the stairs. By that time, it was getting darker, and the winds were picking up.
I really wish I had some pictures to share of the hike down, because the #4 trail through the Cathedral Spires is also spectacular. But the thunderstorm was upon us, and a light rain was starting to fall. We were trying to make the quickest time possible down the mountain, just in case the light rain and distant thunder turned into a downpour. The #4 trail doesn't get as much use as the #9 trail, and there is a lot more beetle-killed trees along the trail. With the wind rocking all the dead trees, we decided it was best not to linger for any photos.
I really hope to return to Harney Peak, however, and spend more time. The views from the peak were magnificent, and the area was magical. Even with the crowds, it was well worth the time and effort to visit. I am really glad we got to see for ourselves one of the places Greg's dad lived and worked.
On our drive out on the Needles Highway, this was our final view of Harney Peak and the lookout. I like to think that the rainbow is a promise we will return.
